Days #653-659 of Our Epic Trip

Posted byHappy Vegan CampersPosted inCamping, epic tripTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
8-16-2025
H: 74ºF L: 48ºF
Signal Mountain Campground, Grand Teton National Park, Moran, Wyoming

We woke up at 6am with a palomino mule checking out our campsite. I didn’t get the best picture of him because I took the shot through our window. I thought going outside would scare him.

Palomino mule in Custer Gallatin National Forest near Gardner, Montana, USA.

We really enjoyed our boondocking site in Gardiner, MT so we are sad to be leaving today.

Marcel and Peter in Custer Gallatin National Forest near Gardiner, Montana, USA.

We drove through Yellowstone National Park into Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. Once we got set up at our new campground, we walked down to Jackson Lake. We saw a fox sitting near the Signal Mountain Lodge just people watching. He/She didn’t seem afraid of our dogs at all as we walked past.

Antelope in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Meadow in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Happy Vegan Campers driving on road in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Daniel and Peter at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Fox at Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
8-17-2025
H: 72°F L: 45°F
Signal Mountain Campground, Grand Teton National Park, Moran, Wyoming

We drove through Jackson Hole, WY and stopped in the very touristy town of Jackson. The main area to walk around town was bigger than we expected for a town with a population of about 10,000. The town had lots of restaurants and art galleries and was surrounded by the beauty of the Tetons.

Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Kristin and statue in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, USA.

We took the boys for a walk in Bridger-Teton National Forest and watched a beautiful storm roll in. The dark sky and frequent lightning were spectacular.

Stream in Bridget-Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
Storm over Bridget-Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
Peter and Marcel with storm over Bridget-Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyoming, USA.

On the way home we stopped at the Teton National Park Visitor Center. It was in a beautiful building with full walls of glass.

Teton National Park Visitor Center in Moose, Wyoming, USA
8-18-2025
H: 79ºF L: 44ºF
Signal Mountain Campground, Grand Teton National Park, Moran, Wyoming

We stopped at Signal Mountain Overlook and enjoyed the views in all directions.

View from Signal Mountain Overlook in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Signal Mountain Overlook in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Signal Mountain Overlook in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

The Jackson Lake Dam area provides an unobstructed view of the mountains. These mountains are so pretty with their jagged peaks and glaciers. They are younger mountains which haven’t been worn down by weather and erosion like some older mountains.

View of Teton Mountain Range from Jackson Lake Dam in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We drove to Jackson Lake Lodge and enjoyed beautiful views. The lodge itself was… interesting. I didn’t take a picture of it because I didn’t like it. It was more modern and made of stamped and stained concrete. Normally, I like modern architecture but this concrete looked like sheets of plywood to me.

View from Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We drove to Oxbow Bend where you have a chance of seeing moose or bear. We didn’t see any big mammals.

Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Jenny Lake has a great trail. We walked part of it but dogs aren’t allowed on national park trails so we only walked a little ways while the boys stayed cool in the car. The water of Jenny Lake is turquoise near the edge. It’s a really pretty area.

Deer at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View of mountains from Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View of mountains from Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Teton Glacier Turnout gives a good view of a glacier. There are also black stripes on a nearby mountain which we learned were created when magma cooled in a particular way in a crack or crevice.

View from Teton Glacier Turnout in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA.
View from Teton Glacier Turnout in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA.

We went to Mormon Row where there is the famous TA Moulton barn (first picture) built in 1913. It has long been thought of as a symbol of the great American West. Down the road are other picturesque structures.

TA Moulton Barn on Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.
Barn on Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.
Building on Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.
Barn on Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.
View of mountains from Mormon Row in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.

After dinner, we went back to Oxbow Bend because it’s supposed to be a good place to see moose. We saw herds of elk but no moose.

8-19-2025
H: 77ºF L: 43ºF
Fishing Bridge RV Park, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

We left the beautiful Tetons and went back to Yellowstone National Park. The drive through the two parks was amazing!

Mountains in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Mountains in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA.

After setting up at our new campground (the most expensive campground we have ever stayed at), we did laundry since we have full hookup. Then we drove around looking for animals. Daniel talked to some fellow campers who told him they were stopped on the road for a long time because a herd of bison were blocking traffic. We’ve only seen one solitary bison until tonight when we saw… another solitary bison. This single guy was hanging out by a small parking area. We also saw elk.

American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Sunset over Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Steam over water in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Sunset over Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Sunset and Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Elk in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
8-20-2025
H: 72ºF L: 46ºF
Fishing Bridge RV Park, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

We explored Yellowstone National Park today. The noise coming from the Dragon’s Mouth Spring along with the waves of water were so neat. As the gas escaped the water, it almost sounded like a big metal door opening and closing. It’s probably my favorite feature of the park so far. Right next to it is the Mud Volcano. We also noticed the small hot spring surrounded by a boardwalk and railing, essentially a fenced in area, had a lot of bison or maybe elk hoof prints. I’m not sure how they got in there or why they wanted to go in there but it looked like they had fun.

Dragon’s Mouth Spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Mud Volcano in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Near mud geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Mud Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Daniel and Kristin by Dragon’s Mouth Spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Next we stopped at Sulfur Caldron. It’s one of the most active areas of Yellowstone’s buried volcano. Lava in the nearby area continues to alter the landscape by pushing up the earth in certain areas faster than is normal. Sulfur Caldron is full of thermoacidophile microbes which thrive in acidic environments (almost as acidic as battery acid) and convert the pool’s hydrogen sulfide gas into sulfuric acid.

Sulfur Caldron in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Sulfur Caldron in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We finally found a herd of bison in a large grassy valley.

Herd of American Bison in meadow in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We visited Upper Falls and Lower Falls at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. From this area, we viewed the Artists Palette where minerals have colored the earth shades of red, yellow, and orange.

Deer at Upper Falls in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Upper Falls at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Artists Palette in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Lower Falls and Artists Palette in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We saw another single bison in a field.

Steam in meadow in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison in meadow in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We loved walking the boardwalk at Norris Geyser Basin. Some of the springs were a beautiful turquoise, some were small and deep, while others were tiny and bubbling. The area was quite expansive and otherworldly.

Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Steamboat geyser is the biggest active geyser in world sometimes shooting 300 feet in the air. Its eruptions are frequent but unpredictable.

Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Emerald Spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Multiple times we have driven past Terrace Spring, a unique pond which looks like faeries have decorated the bottom of the pond. We still aren’t quite sure what the bright green things are on the bottom of the pond.

Terrace Spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Terrace Spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We passed by two bison right next to the road.

American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Next we went to Old Faithful. We noticed some ravens hopping around on the ground by Old Faithful and they flew off right before it erupted. That’s how I knew the show was about to begin. Old Faithful erupts every 60-110 minutes.

Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful

We explored Old Faithful Inn which was built in 1903-1904. It must have been quite the party place at one time as we read that all the balcony areas would be full of people dancing. It has a crows nest where musicians used to play but a 7.5 magnitude earthquake damaged some of the support beams so the public is no longer allowed in that area. The lodge was initially only open for 3 months during the summer but that didn’t stop it from serving a lot of guests – in 1952 there were 52,000 registered guests.

Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

Driving back to the camper we saw several elk, including a baby, a herd of bison, and beautiful views of the lake.

Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Elk in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Elk in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Elk and calf in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Herd of American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
8-21-2025
H: 75°F L: 49°F
Fishing Bridge RV Park, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Daniel and I did star gazing last night at 2am. We saw our first shooting star together! We also saw the Milky Way.

Today we drove Hwy 212. We saw a lot of beautiful vistas along the way.

View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Raven along Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
View from Hwy 212 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We saw a black bear by Roosevelt Lodge. He/she was just walking through an open field trying to ignore all the people watching him/her. We also went to Roosevelt Lodge. It was rustic and, while it has history as being on the location of a President Theodore Roosevelt campsite, it wasn’t much to look at. We did go inside and explored a little.

Black bear by Roosevelt Lodge in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Black bear by Roosevelt Lodge in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
Fireplace inside Roosevelt Lodge in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We saw a petrified redwood tree. When volcanoes erupted 50 million years ago, it caused mudslides which covered whole forests and eventually resulted in petrified wood. Much of the petrified wood has been taken by people over the years.

Petrified Redwood Tree in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We saw a lot of bison including a baby. We watched them take dust baths. We also saw a bison walking the center yellow lines in the road. He was a man on a mission.

American Bison taking dust bath in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison walking down double yellow line in road in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We finally saw Pronghorn up close.

Pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We stopped at Soda Butte, which is an old hot spring cone, in the Lamar Valley.

Soda Butte in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.

We turned around in Cooke City, MT after driving past the northeast entrance to Yellowstone on the Beartooth Scenic Byway. We stopped where several people were looking at a mountain and found out they were looking at mountain goats. A nice couple let us look through their monocular for a better view than we had with our binoculars.

Downtown Cooke City, Montana, USA.
Wooden deer head on barn in Cooke City, Montana, USA.
8-22-2025
H: 83ºF L: 62ºF
Boondocking, BLM Land, Red Gulch Scenic Byway, Shell, Wyoming

We left the national parks and drove east today. We are boondocking near a small town with a lot of charm. The main store looks like an old building which was refurbished.

Old Shell Store Kitchen and Taphouse in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
Old store in Shell, WY

We are staying on BLM land right at the entrance to the Red Gulch Byway. We drove down the road to see the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite. It is a beautiful area and I bet a lot of people just drive by the pretty, colorful hills without noticing them. The dinosaur tracks are around 167 million years old and some were created by a theropod, a meat-eating dinosaur which walked on its hind legs. More than 1,100 tracks have been documented and they range in size from 3.5 inches to 8 inches.

Prairie Dog near Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
View from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
Marcel and Peter dinosaur tracks at Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
Dinosaur footprint at Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
View from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
View from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
View from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
View from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
Dinosaur footprint at Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite in Shell, Wyoming, USA.

We ended the day with a sunset walk. It was a peaceful area.

Sunset view from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.
Sunset view from Red Gulch Byway in Shell, Wyoming, USA.

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $20
  • Tesla Model X fuel: $5
  • Campsite: $579.98
  • Camping memberships: $38.26
  • Food: $1.58

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 336.1 (216.4 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 842.9 (199 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 2

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#MoranWY #JacksonHoleWY #JacksonWY #CookeCityMT #ShellWY #GrandTetonNationalPark #JacksonLake #BridgerTetonNationalForest #SignalMountainOverlook #JacksonLakeDam #OxbowBend #JennyLake #MormonRow #TAMoultonBarn #YellowstoneNationalPark #DragonsMouthSpring #MudVolcano #SulfurCaldron #AmericanBison #NorrisGeyserBasin #SteamboatGeyser #TerraceSpring #OldFaithful #OldFaithfulInn #BlackBear #RooseveltLodge #PetrifiedRedwoodTree #SodaButte #RedGulchDinosaurTracksite #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingTheUS #CamperLife #VeganLife #RetiredLife #FIRELife #HealthyVegan #Dogs

Published by Happy Vegan Campers

Two vegans and two vegan dogs traveling the country in a camper pulled by a Tesla. We love being frugal, cooking from scratch, exploring, hiking, and meeting fellow vegans.

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